<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Promise to do right by you by trxumvxrate (orphan_account)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28840935">Promise to do right by you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/trxumvxrate'>trxumvxrate (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>of broken swords and curled horns [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>shhh - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Begging, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Sex, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Gentle Sex, Hybrids, Love Confessions, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nesting, Piglin/Human Hybrids, Possessive Behavior, Ram/Human Hybrids, Rough Sex, Rutting, Scent Marking, Sharing Body Heat, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Voice Kink, Voyeurism, Wet Dream, Wing Kink, Wings, fellas is it gay to wanna fuck your homies, forgot to add that, stupid horny mfs smh, techno really likes dos wings bro, technoblade and the internal conflict of Im Not Gay Im Murderous i Swear, train of thought narrative, yes theyre horny but they're also horny......in their hearts (dramatic gasp)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:08:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28840935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/trxumvxrate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Months after taking in an amnesiac and curious Schlatt, Techno deals with the more... biological side of the hybrid's life.</p><p> </p><p>Alternate Universe- of broken sword and curled horns series</p><p> </p><p>Edit: flames has been placed here so they're both in the same place and easier to find and read all at once!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jschlatt/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>of broken swords and curled horns [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>436</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. domestic beasts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Honestly, I just randomly came up with the plot of this on the fly while I was writing because I needed to have a reason for them to be living together hbJDKSHDJ.</p><p>Technoblade is a mostly solitary hybrid, regarded both parts as a demon of rage and destruction and a protector of the nearby town. He lives alone out in the tundra until he finds an amnesiac Schlatt hiding from a blizzard underneath his house.<br/>They adapt to living together pretty easily, Schlatt's amnesia making him pretty clueless but content in hiding. Schlatt is, in a sense, very instinctual and somewhat domestic. </p><p>Schlatt doesn't remember... well, anything from canon equivalent really. His memories left off at the old hybrid kingdom he used to live in before coming to Lmanburg and such, and while he doesn't remember it clearly nor know where it is or what happened to it, its all he really has. His memories do not include the things that turn him into the man he is when he grows up fully, instead just being overall content with hiding away at Techno's house.</p><p>Techno does know and remember everything Schlatt has done, and has explained some of it. However, he doesn't really mind the ram living in his house since he isn't exactly ... threatening. Besides, Schlatt means free actual food so at least he's not eating whatever he has now.</p><p>Design wise,<br/>Schlatt has big curled ram horns, fluffy ears and a long wisp tail. He has hooves and his arms after the elbow have a dark gradient, along with clawed hands. He also has a pair of dark wings he can summon or will just show up if he's threatened / overwhelmed (Fun fact; in universe wilbur also has these; any dead-then-revived person does. wil's are just pale yellow). Despite being small compared to Techno, he is 6'3. He usually wears dress shirts and fur coats to hide himself tm.<br/>Technoblade is an absolute monster of a lad, hes like. 7'8. Huge. He has long ish pink ears and hooves. His hair is long and still pink, mess but tied into a braid. Overall his design is similar to the original but slightly duller colors. He doesn't wear the crown, but it is in his home. </p><p>Techno is mostly a more solitary guy at the moment with not many goals other than to do what he pleases. Just as a fore-thing, he doesnt force Schlatt into anything, though there is a small allusion from Schlatt that it has happened before via other people taking advantage of his heat.</p><p>Though usually he's mostly like normal, loud, talkative and joking, when Schlatt's in heat he becomes very guarded and on edge. Techno protecting him (well, mostly his home and Also Schlatt who is in it) makes him be interested in Techno.<br/>Techno's interested in Schlatt, especially since he can sort of smell Schlatt's pheromones but he doesn't push.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You’ve been in there all day, Schlatt,” Techno sighed, exasperated. Standing outside of the door to the other’s room in his house, quickly losing patience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God knows why, but Schlatt had essentially refused to come out of his room. He’d locked the door, hell maybe even put something in its way just so Techno couldn’t get in. It was getting annoying. This wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>Schlatt’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>house, after all. This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The only reason he’d let the ram stay was out of pity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, one could argue that by now he’d become part of Techno's life. Of his routine, even. With barely any memories and a general cluelessness as to where he’d been, Schlatt was… well, way less threatening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d say younger, but that would only work mentally. Physically, he looked the same, if not a little older. Scruffier hair, jagged fresh scars, overall looking a bit disheveled most of the time. Still, most of the names that should make him feel something, anything at all, rang hollow for him. He remembered looking down at the shivering, terrified mess that he’d become when Techno found him. Trying to take shelter from a blizzard </span>
  <em>
    <span>underneath</span>
  </em>
  <span> his house. Not even in it. He was hiding beneath it in a small space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Techno had barely been able to get him to come out. He’d been too harmless to be threatened by. He could tell he wasn’t lying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he let him stay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Explained bits and pieces of his life to him, but not much. Schlatt didn’t seem particularly interested in… well, anything really. At first he was just content to have somewhere warm to hide. Literally. Not resting a lot, he noticed, as every time he brought something to the ram’s room, he was wide awake amongst a mess of pillows and fur blankets. Hiding, Techno realized. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> hiding. From what, he didn’t seem to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he started coming out more, he gained some new hobbies that surprised Techno. Well, the fact he had hobbies at all amused him, but they were… surprisingly tame compared to the Schlatt he’d once known. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wrote. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Constantly, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he wrote. Hell, he wasted all of Techno’s papers and resorted to asking him (quite rudely) to buy him more papers and ink. Techno resolved to just buy him a dozen empty books and some inkwells and left him to his devices. He didn’t really pay attention to it at first, but the second he caught the first glimpse of what he was writing, he couldn’t turn away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A world. Or… a country. There’s nothing else it could be, he thought. His writings were full of descriptions of an old place, towers and villages and people. Food, traditions, everything. Even shaky sketches of this place. It wasn’t Lmanburg, that was for sure, but where it was, he had no idea. He’d tried to ask, once or twice. Schlatt didn’t respond very well to it. He’d try to describe it, he’d try to </span>
  <em>
    <span>name</span>
  </em>
  <span> the place. But eventually he’d trail off into mumbles about it that Techno could just barely understand. It didn’t even sound like English, sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d cook too. That was the most unexpected one. Hunting, sure. Writing, a bit off but understandable. Drawings, that made some sort of sense too. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>cooking?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was unmistakable though. The smell of spices and seasoning, of meat being cooked and god knows what else he was making in there. He should’ve expected it. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> let him hunt, sure. And he’d noticed that it went well but he- well, he didn’t really expect this. And yet he did it with a precision that almost shocked Techno. Slicing into raw meat, chopping vegetables concerningly fast. It was almost scary, the ease of which he handled himself and that knife. He was almost worried that he’d use that knife on </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But… no. No, he lost himself in it, it seemed. He walked straight into the house, greeted the man and stood behind him watching for about ten minutes before Schlatt even noticed he’d returned. And he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> at it, too. Really fucking good at it. Full honesty, Techno hadn’t had a fully cooked meal in… well, a while. He usually just ate whatever he had. He was a pragmatist.  He definitely couldn’t complain about Schlatt’s new hobby, though. He was amazingly good at it and god knows Techno loved the taste.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, it all just became routine. No one was allowed to enter Techno’s house lest they want to face his rage, the true reason being that he was hiding a concerningly domestic ram in his home. Schlatt would cook almost every day, sometimes go hunting on his own during the night. It worried him why he always went during night, but he supposed he wouldn’t be spotted as easily so he didn’t mind. He convinced Techno to let him grow plants and raise chickens too. And the rest of it, well, if Techno wanted him to use those ingredients, then he’d go buy or trade for them himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was… nice, actually. To have a meal to come back to, even if the maker was usually doing something else by the time he sat down. It was fun, though. In a way. He could just sit down and eat and watch as Schlatt wrote or sketched or tended to the animals. He became part of the routine, in his own way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So of course he was worried when he came back and realized Schlatt had… well, he’d never left the house. In fact, he hadn’t even stepped out of his room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off,” Schlatt mumbled from inside, definitely not sounding very happy. Techno frowned, sighing. “Schlatt, let me in. I don’t know what the hell’s going on with you but at least let me help you, you idiot.” “You CAN'T!” He flinched, startled. He yelled. Schlatt had yelled at him. He’d barely ever even heard him get this loud about anything. “I-” Techno started, then cut himself off. “Schlatt, please. Whatever it is, I’m sure it's not this big of a deal and-” Wait. What was that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scent. A scent, a very specific one that he’d never smelled before. Warm. It smelled warm, and unique and it like-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like Schlatt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stopped for a moment, mind racing through the possibilities. He’d never… He’d never considered that Schlatt could go through ruts like he did, but- Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a hybrid too, so it made sense but- That scent wasn’t the same, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> the same at all and god it was so nice and sweet and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh and curling his hands into fists. “Schlatt- you-” he stammered, looking for words. “Just… I can smell you from out here and if that’s what I think it is then I-” his ears twitched, Schlatt had moved. “Tell me what you need and I’ll bring it to you, I- I know it isn’t easy to go through ruts so just-” “Not a rut.” his eyes shot open. He sounded closer. “Not… not a rut. Like a rut, but…” he trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you in heat?” Techno blurted out, a bit too loud and blunt for his own liking. “Fuck- I- sorry I didn’t mean to be that blunt, I just- you just- your scent-” he cut himself off as he stumbled, the door opening just slightly and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Schlatt’s eyes were almost wild looking. What used to be yellow irises were almost entirely taken up by his pupils, dark color overtaking his eyes. His skin was flushed, rosy, his ears bent back, covered in one of the large fur blankets. He was watching him from the small creak of the door, not fully opened just… Hiding. Hiding behind it, looking up at Techno with those eyes and god, it was one of the few moments where Techno really thought about just how big he was compared to Schlatt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Schlatt-” “I can’t.” he said, quietly. So quietly he barely heard it. He looked.. Not terrified but definitely afraid to some extent. Almost as if he was being hunted, if he didn’t look so drowsy and flushed. “I can’t let you in. ‘S not your problem, ‘s mine.” Techno looked down at him, and god why did he look so much smaller like this? Or had he just never seen it before? Sure, Techno </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> much taller than most people but… had Schlatt really always been this small? Had his presence been the only thing that made him so towering? It made sense, especially with how he acted now but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long will it-?” he trailed off, watching Schlatt closely. In hindsight he’d figure out that watching the ram as if he was hunting him while it hid during his first heat in months was probably not the best idea. In the moment though, he couldn’t get his eyes off of Schlatt. “It-” Schlatt was nuzzling himself deeper into the fur blankets. Holding his ground but… nervous. Scared? “Hasn’t… hasn’t really started yet. I can just feel it coming.” Even so, his voice was a little shaky, just a bit breathy. Techno nodded, snapping out of his trance with a twitch. Schlatt’s grip on the door tightened, almost closing it as his whole body tensed. “You- Are you scared of me?” The ram narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… don’t like getting hurt,” he said blankly, “Last time this happened, I remember getting hurt. People take advantage of heats, y’know.” Techno grimaced,  ears twitching with annoyance. Bastards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to hurt you, Schlatt. Just…” he sighed, pushing hair out of his face, “If you need anything, I’ll stay home for the next few days. Not like I have shit to do anyways, so may as well just stay and make sure nothing gets in.” He mumbled, glancing at the ram and noticing a slight difference in the way he looked at him.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You’re going to guard?” He asked quietly, tilting his head to the side. Loosening up a little. Curious. “Well, yeah. You live in my house, Schlatt.” Techno scoffed, gauging the other’s interest, “And besides, if you’re really about to uh.. Well, go into heat, then I’ll make sure nothing disturbs you. You’ll be safe, so you don’t have to worry.” his ears perked up, tail swishing behind him as he watched Techno speak, “Think of it as repaying all those meals you’ve made me, yeah?” he laughed, trying to keep it cool but god, he could almost feel the heat radiating from the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever it is that he said, it had Schlatt watching him like a hawk, a very, very gay hawk. “..thank you,” he said tentatively, “I- well.. it hasn’t hit yet so I’ll just... be here.” He mumbled, was his skin getting redder? It felt so warm around him. Techno nodded absently, his mind wandering as the scent started getting stronger little by little. “Goodnight, Techno,” “Huh? Oh, yeah, g’night Schlatt.” he clenched a fist, then released the tension, pulling himself back into reality. “..You should rest, too. There’s bread and cheeses and stuff in the cupboard,” Schlatt looked at the floor, then nodded at Techno before shutting the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was gonna be a long few days.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. unmistakably known</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Techno reflects on things for a little while going through the first day.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my biggest problem whenever i get invested in a thing is that ill start overdeveloping everything JHFSDJKSF<br/>so hi sorry i lied sadly chapter two will not yet be the sexy times because this is turning out to actually be longer than i thought it would be.<br/>however i am still writing on and off during my free time so expecting chapters 3-4 either today or in the next days isnt too far fetched</p>
<p>not sure whether or not the nsfw itself will start in 3 or 4, though itll likely slowly start in 3 since its from schlatt's side <br/>anyways enjoy some character development via Konrad Doesn't Know How To Stop Overdeveloping Things He Likes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ignorance is a virtue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not ignorance as in stupidity or bias, ignorance as in being able to ignore things. Apathy? Is that what it was called?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Techno groaned, burying his face in pillows and furs. God, what fucking ever. Whatever the hell it was called, it was a skill he really wished he’d mastered by now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smell though, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>scent</span>
  </em>
  <span> of it was intoxicating. It started small, just barely anything, but now he understood why Schlatt had locked himself in his room. It felt as if anyone in a five mile radius would be able to smell it, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was it good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, objectively good, he corrected himself. It just smells good. It’s a pheromone thing, yeah? Schlatt’s just in heat and he can’t control it, there’s nothing especially delectable about the scent, it’s just stupid horny chemicals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried not to think about how much longer he’d be able to keep himself convinced of that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a difference. A huge fucking difference. A difference that made him annoyingly horny and stupidly incapacitated. A difference that was making him question just how Schlatt’s biology worked, because someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> passed by. A wanderer, barely visible underneath all the furs and cloaks he was hiding himself in. Searching for some hidden refuge city or whatever, Techno didn’t care. He’d dragged himself out of  bed and draped his cape over himself and prepared himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> chop this idiot’s head off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t notice, though. He didn’t notice at all, and the fucker was a canine hybrid. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw</span>
  </em>
  <span> the nose twitch, he knew he could smell the food and the fire inside. And yet, Schlatt’s overly aggressive pheromones seemed to slide right off. Almost as if he couldn’t smell them at all. But goddamnit, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span> and they were flooding every sense he had and filling him with thoughts he didn’t realize he even had and warmth he didn’t know he could produce and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As politely as he could, he told the stranger to kindly fuck off and that he had no idea where the place he was looking for was. He slammed the door behind him, and decided to add some of the heavier barricades. Just in case. For no particular reason, his instincts told him to keep him safe. He tried not to think about it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And here he was now. Laying in his bed, trying to ignore how fucking hot he felt and that overwhelming scent that was filling his whole home. It wasn’t that it was bad, god knows it was good, but it… it was unsettling. Unsettling because it smelled so fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>familiar</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It smelled like freshly cooked food or morning coffee, the smell of bread while it bakes and meat while it simmers. It smelled like those red berries he loved so much and all the plants he’d started keeping in the garden. It smelled like warmth, like softness, like stories of a distant land and sketches of an unrecognizable kingdom and goddamnit, no matter how ridiculous it was that a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span> made him think of all this, he couldn’t deny that it truly and wholeheartedly smelled like Schlatt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wondered for a moment what he was up to. Had he sensed the passerby? Shit, Techno probably should’ve told him it was fine. There's </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> way it hasn’t kicked in by now though, right? The raw scent was filling every fucking nook and cranny of this house, there-</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>There’s no way it hasn’t kicked in yet. He wondered how Schlatt was going to deal with-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>No. </span><em><span>No. </span></em><span>Not this again, goddamnit. He’d been fighting off these thoughts all day already. It doesn’t matter if he’s in heat, that’s </span><em><span>not-</span></em><span> he’s not letting his thoughts go there. No matter how tempting it is. No matter how constantly it fills him with questions and ideas and images and </span><em><span>fuck,</span></em><span> the images. He can’t start on this again, he’s right next door in his room. Just think about something else, </span><em><span>anything</span></em><span> else and-</span><span><br/></span> <span>He realizes for a moment that he’s known Schlatt for… a pretty long while now, actually. He found him in October. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>The blizzard had sent him cowering for any sort of protection. Techno remembers the way he looked at him that night. Fear, anger, fucking terror. He tucked himself deeper into the hole beneath his house that he already barely fit in, but it seemed that anything was better than coming out. Techno had to convince him to come out which, frustratingly, took quite a bit. He eventually realized the reason he was so wary of coming out was that he wouldn’t have been able to defend himself. He could barely stand, a broken leg and chipped hoof and freezing cold all over him. He basically had to carry the ram inside since he couldn’t walk on his own. It took a while for him to get used to living there, let alone leave the room at all but... here they were. This was his normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was February now. He knew him now. More than he ever envisioned himself knowing Schlatt of all people, yet he couldn’t really bring himself to complain.  He did wonder, sometimes. Wonder where those scars came from or why he was the way he was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Of course he did, but… he hadn’t thought of this before. Of the possibility of this. Five months. He still wondered just how any of it worked. It was… well, an odd amount of time, firstly. Then there was the scent thing- that man didn’t seem to smell it at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but Techno </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he should be able to. And…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His thoughts wandered again, too tired to keep distracting himself with meaningless things (why did this mean so much to him?). Sitting up, leaning against the wall that he shared with the other’s room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Had</span>
  </em>
  <span> it started yet? There’s no way he was still just waiting. His curiosity flourished again, wondering how the ram was dealing with all of this on his own.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. instinct</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Techno would protect him, right?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He could hear Techno talking to the passerby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d seen him from the window. Almost instantaneously every part of him was on edge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A stranger,</span>
  </em>
  <span> his instincts growled, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hidehidehidehidehidehidehidehidehidehide-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He hit himself on the head, trying to move his thoughts away from the obvious, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you very much,</span>
  </em>
  <span> instincts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been a while. How long a while, he wasn’t really sure. If what Techno said was true, which it probably was, then… well, it didn’t actually clear anything up since he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> supposed to be dead and all but… at least it was something. He sensed it though. It had been a while since he’d felt like this. And while he may not know how long or where or why, he trusted his instincts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They never lead him astray.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Schlatt was… an interesting hybrid, to say the least. His biology was unruly at best, chaotic at worst, his powers were almost uncontrollable and his body was… starting to make him question whether he was actually a ram or not. Hooves, horns and tail all work. The claws on his hand and their dark color, he wasn’t sure. The wings? He had no idea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t always had them, he was sure of that. But here they were. Usually, they didn't actually show up. It was pretty convenient. They just disappeared into nothingness. When they did though, it was a whole new problem. Aside from the obvious sensitivity issues and the fact that he wasn’t actually used to having to mind them, anyone who saw them was instantly drawn to them. Literally. Even Techno had tried to touch them once, to which he promptly received a fist in the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...He felt bad about that. It wasn’t his intention, not really. Schlatt was just always on edge. Something inside him was constantly rumbling on and on about hiding, fighting, </span>
  <em>
    <span>protecting</span>
  </em>
  <span> himself from something. Someone. No one was allowed to get the upper hand on J. Schlatt. Never again. Whatever that meant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His ears twitched, still listening to Techno downstairs. He sounded angry. He sounded protective. That did something to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A weak pulse of heat in his stomach at the thought of it. He’d felt it last night too, when Techno promised to protect him. Well, the exact words were the house but, still. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>protecting</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. Why was he thinking about it like that? It’s not usually that big of a deal, and yet-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His wings unfurled and shielded him from the world, a cocoon of dark brown feathers instantly flashing out when the door slammed. His breathing turned heavy, fast. What happened? Was he gone? Was that Techno? He couldn’t think. God, he couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>think. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everything was going so fast all the time, fear struck into his heart and made a home there. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>neveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragainneveragain-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard Techno climbing up the stairs. Mumbling to himself, closing the door to his room and thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>god. He was safe. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everything was okay. Techno was here. He was safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His wings retreated, sitting up on the bed quietly- and then instantly remembering why he was curled up in the first place. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it hurt like a bitch. No matter the little pulses of heat, something inside him was twisting and it was- god, he could use something to drink. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>What that meant, he wasn’t sure. He’s not sure if water helps with heats or something. Probably not. It’s probably another one of those memory things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nonetheless, it aches. It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>in</span>
  </em>
  <span> his stomach per se, but that’s where it aches the most. Like something’s missing. Someone took a chunk of him out and he’s much too weak to find it right now. Instead, he curls up into a ball and tries to bite back his whimpers. Were they always like this? He swears they used to be different. Sure, it was… still a lot, but at least it was just the horny aspect. He could take care of that himself. Probably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now, no, now something inside him was pulsing and twisting and it ached. It’s not that it was outright horribly painful, but he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> it pulsing. He wanted- he wanted-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A soft thump against the wall he was pressed against startled him, his wings forming another cocoon defensively but- no, no it’s fine. It’s just Techno leaning against his side of it. Techno would keep him safe. He wouldn’t hurt Schlatt, he even said he’d guard the nes-</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The fuck is a nest? He- oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck, why?</span>
  </em>
  <span> It </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>like this. There was no way it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dug his claws into the fur blankets again, clenching his teeth a bit too hard.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>empty.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He felt empty and he hated every second of it. He couldn’t think straight, thoughts kept wandering to places they shouldn’t go and-</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>Techno would help you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No he wouldn’t. It’s not his problem.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s keeping you safe. He gave you a home. He’s protecting you. He would help you.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <span>This isn’t Techno’s business, Schlatt can handle it himself-</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t you want him to?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>God, yes-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes shot open. His whole body was as tense as an arrow ready for firing. No. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>No</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s not how this works. Techno is a friend at </span>
  <em>
    <span>best- </span>
  </em>
  <span>right? It’s just the pheromones acting up. Techno would never- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Schlatt </span>
  </em>
  <span>would never-</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He let out a soft cry, curling into himself even more. Whimpering, he tried to stop his hazy mind from wandering more but god, wouldn’t it be so much easier if he wasn’t alone? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Techno wouldn’t hurt him. Techno was good to him. He let him hunt and cook and write and hell, even live here. He gave him a place to rest. A place to hide, to tend. A nest. </span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t lie to him. Techno would take care of him, right? He said he’d protect him, he promised he’d-</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He was tired. So tired. Too tired to stop himself or pull himself back. The thoughts in his head were starting to drag him down with them and he was much too tired to fight. Instead, he curled up, shielding himself from the world with his wings and reaching down, muffling his whimpers as much as he could.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>due to my own brain Sayin I Should, i am puttin the nsfw part of this down as a new work tied to this one via collection!!!! so if u wanna read that itll be up soon &lt;3 <br/>my brain just needs to organize stff in specific ways so oops</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reupload of Flames to here! The following chapters will also be posted here for convenience.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He dreaded going to sleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Usually, it was nightmares. That would make sense right? The mighty Blade, plagued by regrets and thoughts of the past every night. Waking up in cold sweat in the darkest hour, not being able to sleep again until the sun came out again. That’s what made sense. That’s what he was. Who he was. A bad dream.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was used to that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>Wet dreams did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> make sense. Wet dreams didn’t fit into his narrative, his self, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>existence. </span>
  </em>
  <span>No one in the fucking planet would look at him, the notorious Blade, the ruthless killer, and go, yeah, that guy has wet dreams. Fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>no one. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Especially not about the man in the room </span>
  <em>
    <span>right next to his</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And if anyone did, it would probably be for a creepy reason. But no one who </span>
  <em>
    <span>mattered</span>
  </em>
  <span> would think that; they’d fear, they’d cower, they’d rage on and, and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>And he can’t get yesterday’s dream out of his head. He’s been avoiding sleep ever since, distracting himself with as many things as he can. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>It was just the second night of it. The day had been rough, filled with that intoxi-</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smell. The scent had been there. That was all. It had made things… difficult. Biologically. It filled his mind with covetous thoughts and his body, with warmth. When he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> been able to pass out from raw exhaustion, he found himself awake instantly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>Well, sleep-awake. Awake in his dream. In one of the most realistic dreams he’s had in months. He felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The sifting of fingers through his hair, the dragging of claws down his back. The taste of another in his lips, blood on his tongue. The scent, overwhelming, overpowering, filling his mind with unadulterated lust. The voice. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>voice</span>
  </em>
  <span>, broken and pleading, shaky moans ripping through the air and soft gasps and whimpers in his ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The warmth, good </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the warmth all around him. Every part of him was blazing hot, sweat rolling off and everything, everything felt much too hot. His body felt like it was searing with flames trapped underneath his skin, threatening to break at any moment. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The heat around his cock was suffocating and no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>no</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he wasn’t going to start thinking about it again. He needed to go the hell to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>...But, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’d been like nothing he’d ever felt before. Everything was frenetic, filled with rush and need and hurry. Being coaxed on, held so close to another, he could barely tell where his body ended and the other’s began. It felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>good, christ. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>And Schlatt. Just...Schlatt. Right there, laid out beneath him, looking up at him with that teary eyed, pleading expression. His rough edges and snark had faded away and all that was left was the overwhelming need inside him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Please,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he looked so soft like that, skin flushed red and pupils wide, his soft ears bent back, holding onto Techno. He could feel his claws threatening to push into his skin, holding back just barely, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Looking up at Techno like that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, he-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>He growled,gritting his teeth. God. He couldn’t do this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>He fell back, stretching out his body over the bed, trying his best not to make it all worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>He did wonder, though. Schlatt had been… well, quiet for sure. Sometimes a stray noise would slip out and Techno’s ears would prick up, drinking in the little whimper. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>How did it feel? Sure, Techno had been through ruts but that's... Not the same. And even if they were, Schlatt was a completely different species than him, doubly so with whatever the hell gave him those wings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>What was heat like? Did he- well, did he want what Techno had dreamed of? Maybe it worked differently for him. Maybe it was completely different and he didn’t feel anything at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>But god, there was no way that he didn’t feel at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this. The scent was driving him up the walls, and making him frustratingly horny. There’s no way right?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>—</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He digs his teeth as deep into the pillow as he can, biting back moans and holding his breath. It was getting harder. He could barely take it and it was burning his entire body into bits. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on like this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>always like this. He’d already figured that out and god,  was it a mess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, no, it was usually never like this. He’d never had someone to </span>
  <em>
    <span>share </span>
  </em>
  <span>it with before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not someone like Techno anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His memory may be fuzzy, but he remembers some things in passing. Feelings. Flashes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knows, though. He’s never had someone like Techno during this that he trusted the way he did him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And so it was ten times worse. Because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In whatever stupid way this stupid thing worked, he knew inside him that Techno would protect him. Be good to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mate him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>matematematematematematemate-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was driving him insane. That bit of knowledge was making it all worse because now it wasn’t enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fingers weren’t enough, false bites weren’t enough. Now, he wanted something. Someone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was taking every bone in his body not to just pack up, run and beg. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t let himself do that. He couldn’t-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Techno wouldn’t hurt him but Schlatt is-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>can't-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t want to get hurt. He hates getting hurt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he could deal with it before, but now he hates it. He hates the pain, both the one of cuts and bruises and the one of his guts twisting into knots. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hates it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it plagues him, still. The fear that Techno will tear him apart and leave him to melt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not real. He knows that. Techno wouldn’t do that to him, Techno he-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He protects Schlatt. He’s kept him safe. He brought him food and more blankets to warm up and everything and he was so strong and bigger than him and he could keep him safe and <em>fill him</em> and-</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Techno’s whole body stiffens at the noise. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unmistakable. Completely and utterly Schlatt and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>whined. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He let out a loud, shaky whine, not muffled enough by the blankets and pillows. He wrapped his legs around a pillow and pulled it close, trying his best not to lose his own mind as he rutted desperately against it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He whined. He whined so loudly Techno couldn’t deny the noise ringing in his ears. His breathing cut, his ears refused to bend back down and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And fuck, goddamnit, he was hard. He was so fucking hard. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How couldn’t he be? He tried to reason with himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That sound, it was just erotic. Pornographic by nature. Anyone would react the way he did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His vision blurred slightly, heat filling his body and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Another one. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And this time, a thump against his wall. Schlatt was leaning against it, holding the pillow between his legs and rutting desperately as he let out another broken whine. He couldn’t stop himself. The heat was building, the thought of Techno, of being taken care of, of being </span>
  <em>
    <span>mated-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He kept trying to justify it all in his mind as he wrapped a hand around the base of his cock. Holding his breath so he could hear better. Drinking in the tiny whines and whimpers that broke through and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did he think Techno was asleep? It was late. Middle of the night late. Was he-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A moan ripped out of his throat, leaving him shaking and quivering as he bucked his hips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So warm, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he couldn’t stop thinking, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so warm-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Techno clenched his mouth shut as much as he could, trying to stay quiet, not be heard, not be sensed but </span>
  <em>
    <span>good god</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he wanted more. He wanted more of those moans, of those whimpers. Running his hand up and down his length, slow strokes as he quietly leaned back against the wall and kept his ears open.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could hear rustling, occasional thuds and heavy breaths. The walls were so thin he felt like he could almost feel Schlatt’s heat, radiating out of the wall. He couldn’t stop himself anymore. His thoughts were everywhere he dreaded they’d end up, and god help him, it was making his composure crumble. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He let out a soft breath, fingers twitching anxiously as he wrapped them around the base of  his cock.  Those thoughts, those </span>
  <em>
    <span>images</span>
  </em>
  <span> came back </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Schlatt laid out on his bed, legs spread, looking up at Techno with those eyes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The way he’d looked at him that first night, I wide eyed and entranced. His pupils taking up so much of his eyes, he’d looked at Techno as if he mesmerized him. Fuck, he’d do anything to see him like that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or bent over for him, on the bed or over a table. His back bare and primed for Techno to pepper with bite marks and bruises. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or just </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>god. Schlatt marked up for him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>by</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, so thoroughly claimed by Techno that no one could see him and not know he was spoken for. Bite marks all over his neck and thighs, claiming. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What did he look like when he came? He knew Schlatt was vocal in more ways than one. Did he moan? Let out a soft little cry or a loud, shivering moan? Did his whole body convulse? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Would he come from it? He doubted he wouldn’t, especially with both of them like this. He kept wondering what it would feel like to have Schlatt come on his cock, let out his loud, needy moans and beg Techno for more.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those soft eyes looking up at him, amber shining, skin glowing in the candlelight and body splayed out for Techno. Maybe he could get his wings to come out to toy with them, or lick along his horns.  Bite his little ears as he grabbed ahold of his legs and spread them and-</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every part of his body tensed as Schlatt listened to Techno moan. Deep, sultry sound right behind him, a slight whisper of his name on his voice right after.  A moan, from Techno.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Oh.  </em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. For you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A heated confession, yet still calm before the storm.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>You were hearing things. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I was </span>
  <b>not. </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no way he’d do that. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear me, he </span>
  <b>can </b>
  <span>hear me, these walls aren’t-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>real. </em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s no way it wasn’t real. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard it. He heard the sound, the low, shaky moan, his name breathed out so softly he barely picked it up. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>heard it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, just a few moments ago, and he wasn’t fucking imagining it. There’s no way. There’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that meant Techno had heard him, too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t secretly hoping for it. The thought of Techno plagued his mind for every whimper and whine he let out- and sure, he assumed the other was asleep but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t keep away the thought of Techno being the one to take care of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Go. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I couldn’t. I could never fucking do that. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You were waiting for a sign, weren’t you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You want him. Why not ask?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>What if he doesn’t want me </span>
  <b>back? </b>
  <span>What then?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He wants you back. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He growled at his own thoughts, wishing everything was just.. easier. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>want Techno, in more ways than one. Maybe he looked at him in a way that was a little more than platonic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he thought Techno looked back. Moments where he got too close or watched him too closely. Putting his head atop Schlatt’s while he cooked or watching him intently as he wrote. Looking right at him as if he was some sort of intriguing mystery he’d been captivated by. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moments where his hand would stay a bit too long on him, or stray a little too low.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>Techno, in more ways than one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he wanted to be wanted in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Try.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This is stupid.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You were just talking abiut how you swore you heard it yet now, it’s stupid?</span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>It's </span><b>different.</b> <span>Asking him is different.</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Is it really?What’s bad in trying?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I could ruin everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a terrifying thought. He didn’t want to go back into the cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him. He felt safe here, happy here, cared for here. And he didn’t want to lose Techno, not after all of this.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But you heard him. He heard you. He wants you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He curled deeper into himself, anxiety bubbling in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted this, he wanted Techno, through his fear and insecurity, he wanted this.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Take the chance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He struggled to stand for a moment, wary at first but confused to find the pain twisting inside of him… mostly gone. A dull sense of aching was all that was left, instead of the hot, searing pulse inside him. He found his balance, leaning against a wall, and tugging a furred blanket over him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Part of him still wanted to curl up and hide, to not to be seen or heard from at all. Not have to think about this or anything and just fall asleep in the warmth, safe and protected and fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>peaceful.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A little late for that, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He started to walk to the door, flinching as he felt something graze his wing- wait, his wing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced back to see the twin black wings, hidden underneath the blanket. He dropped the thing and stretched them out tentatively, watching as the feathers rippled and shimmered in the dim light. A tiny ‘oh’ left his mouth, pulling them over himself as a replacement for the blanket. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess these aren’t leaving, then. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to ignore it and just walk out to the goddamn hallway and just do what he needed to and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Techno’s eyes widened as Schlatt tumbled backwards, grabbing him by his arm and pulling him up before he fell.  “Fuck, are you okay? I- didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry, shit-” Schlatt looked up at the piglin as he excused himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He knows.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He looks so warm.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shut up.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s blushing, you can see it, he knows, he-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>Shut up.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whatever Techno was saying wasn’t registering in his brain. He curled his wings protectively around himself, eyes wide and he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> the warmth radiating from him and he-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Techno stumbled for a moment, trying to find his words as he looked down at the ram who just decided to bury his face in his chest. “Uh-” he looked down nervously, “Schlatt? You doin’ oka-” “You heard me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That shut him up. His eyes widened and his breath hitched for a moment, keeping his hands off the other but </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, </span>
  </em>
  <span>something inside him just wanted to hold him as close as he could and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I.. heard you,” Schlatt said, quieter this time, still holding onto Techno as if he was his fucking life support. He was warm. His ears were bent back, wings itching to curl around the both of them. He… god, he really was smaller than Techno. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt so small, so weak. Something in him just wanted to protect him, hold him close and show him that safety and take him and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was trying his best not to spiral, especially with the other right there and what he’d just been doing, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>god, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was so easy to lose himself in his thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how this works,” Schlatt confessed, still quiet, still refusing to meet his eyes, “Even if I don’t have my memories, I know it wasn’t always… like this.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Feels so empty inside- </span>
  </em>
  <b>Shut up. </b>
  <span>Techno was </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t-” he could feel the vibrations of Techno’s voice, so close, so, so close, “You’re driving me insane with this,” he laughed, softly, and Schlatt tried not to smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soft, warm fondness spread through his chest, a momentary respite from the mess of… well, all of this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” He started, but the other cut him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you-” Schlatt pulled away, looking away and curling his wings protectively around himself, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me, Techno?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every possible emotion he could’ve had surged up at once.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Joy, bubbling in his chest at the chance, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>chance</span>
  </em>
  <span> to show him how much he wanted him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear, twisting in his guts as he wondered what this meant for him, what this meant for them</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rage, for a split second, at himself, for letting himself get so attached to this man.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Excitement, love, curiosity, and an overwhelming feeling of adoration exploded inside him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Schlatt looked so soft like this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew what he could like when he was angry, what he really looked like. He’d been there when he was still running with that tyranny, riding the high of war and battle. He’d been there when he died, watched from afar as he killed both himself and Wilbur for the little boy with the horns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d watched him try to drag himself out of the flames to get one last hit, looking at Dream like there was nothing in this world he hated more. Murmuring in another language, body collapsing against his will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was there when he said his last word. A sudden surge of power as he tackled Dream and yelled at the boy to run.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d watched him be himself. He’d gotten used to it. He’d understood, this was who Schlatt was. War and fire and hatred.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And yet now he was watching this. For the last few months, he’d been watching this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A man with… well, a heart, surprisingly. Who smiled and laughed and got lost in his own thoughts. Who’d grown to trust Techno and let him in. Let him read what he wrote and let him watch him draw. Let him eat his cooking and let him tell him the truth about who he’d been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let Techno tell him about his own hell. The blood and the rage and the voices and the thing’s he’d seen and done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he hadn’t turned back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered the moment Schlatt looked at him, rather blankly, and just said,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Welcome to the club, then.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d never fully realized how much that meant to him. How much it meant to him to be heard and accepted and understood, even if only a little. Even if to Schlatt, it was just a passing note of acceptance for the man who’d given him a home. It was more than that to Techno.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And now, this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Schlatt looked up and met his gaze. Golden, honey colored eyes filled with anxiety and curiosity and what he could only describe as adoration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In this moment, he looked soft. He looked nervous, skin tinted red and eyes just barely resisting looking away. Still breathing a little too quickly and still exuding that intoxicating scent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” he sighed, feeling the world slide off his shoulders as he let the syllable slip out. He sounded so hoarse, he realized. So tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he sounded honest. Desperate, even. As if he’d been holding on to that truth for too long and finally letting it out was flooding him with relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Schlatt’s eyes widened a little, opening his mouth as if to speak but remained wordless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then,” his voice was shaky, but god it was so good to hear it again, “You can have me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His breathing halted for a second, feeling Schlatt grab hold of his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can have me,” his breath was so warm on his lips, ghosting right over Techno’s and god, it was so close he could barely take it, he was flooded with the scent and the heat and everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pressed their lips together and melted at the whimper Schlatt let out as he did so. Wrapped his arms around the ram and pulled him closer, deeper into the kiss as he let himself take it all in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“M’ in heat for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Techno,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He murmured, softly, so quietly as if he was ashamed at the same time he was entranced. Techno looked at him, amber eyes almost entirely flooded by black pupils. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll take care of you,” he said quietly, and lost himself in the other’s lips once more. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aiming to get the following chapter up tomorrow or the day after!<br/>It’s already in progress, just figured I might as well post this one before I post the uh.. more risqué scenes per se GDJDHHD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>